Vulgar Britain: Ad watchdog accused of inaction over sex posters

Britain's advertising watchdog has been accused of failing to take action over a billboard campaign which attracted almost 300 complaints.

By Patrick Sawer

12:04PM GMT 03 Jan 2009

The firm behind the posters - which are 30 feet wide and emblazoned with the question "Want Longer Lasting Sex?" in giant lettering - has voluntarily taken them down them from several sites after protests from members of the public.

Yet many are still on display because the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) - the industry watchdog - has opted not to use its powers to order their immediate removal.

Despite the barrage of complaints, which began as soon as the posters went up in mid-December, the ASA is waiting until its officers have completed a report into the case. This is not due until next Friday, Jan 9, at the earliest.

By that time, the month-long advertising campaign will have run its course and the posters will be in the process of being taken down regardless of the watchdog's ultimate ruling.

Ann Widdecombe, Conservative MP for Maidstone and the Weald, said the posters should have been taken down immediately.

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"The ASA should have used its powers to suspend the advert while it was carrying out an investigation, rather than waiting until its investigation was complete," she said.

"These posters are horrible and offensive, particularly at this time of year. People do not want to be confronted by them, especially if they have children with them."

The billboard campaign is intended to promote the Advanced Medical Institute (AMI), a company which markets a nasal spray said to cure impotency. It has two clinics in the UK. In Australia, where the company is based, the advertisements have already been banned.

On the posters, the wording appears in bold red letters on a yellow background, together with the company's telephone number. On some posters, the word 'sex' is twice as large as the other words.

AMI commissioned Titan - one of Britain's biggest outdoor advertising agencies - to put up 190 of the hoardings around London, where the clinics are located.

But after more than 80 residents in Barnet, north London, complained about the wording and the size of the posters, two were removed from sites at the Apex Corner roundabout, Mill Hill, and outside Edgware Hospital.

Brian Gordon, a Barnet councillor, said: "It might seem old fashioned, but people around here believe there should be some degree of modicum when it comes to matters of a sexual nature. It is a victory, alas rare these days, for public decency."

Another of the billboards, sited in Harrow, north-west London, was covered up following similar complaints from residents.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea also forced the removal of one of the adverts, after it was placed on the side of one of its buildings near the Chelsea Embankment, close to the River Thames.

The campaign has been branded the latest example of "Vulgar Britain", following rising concern about the levels of swearing and profanity on television and radio, involving such high-profile broadcasters such as Jonathan Ross and Jamie Oliver.

In all, Titan, which designed the campaign, has been forced to remove 10 of the billboards in response to complaints, including a number which had been placed near schools and places of worship.

In one case, the poster was placed within sight of a mosque in south London. On being told an important religious ceremony was due to take place at the mosque, Titan moved quickly to remove the billboard. The company also removed one from close to a school and church in Wimbledon, south London, following complaints.

The ASA said its formal investigation would determine whether the poster's wording, and the way it is displayed, breach the watchdog's codes on taste and decency. The probe will also consider whether the posters are unsuitable for display where they can be seen by children.

A spokesman said: "If an advert is deemed to have caused widespread harm and offence we can order its immediate removal. This is rare and was not felt to be the case on this occasion."

Steve Cox, Titan's marketing director, said: "We have to be sensitive because it is so public. But of itself the advert is not indecent. It's about a promoting a medical product to alleviate a genuine medical complaint. We felt the advert was legal, decent, honest and truthful, but in some cases we have taken it down following complaints or after being made aware a particular billboard was insensitively located."